


The Bangtan Bakery

by Intensely_Reading



Series: The Bangtan Bakery [1]
Category: TXT (Korea Band), tomorrow by together, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Attempt at Humor, Everyone is a sweetheart, Fluff, Gen, No Angst, No Plot/Plotless, OT7, Self-Indulgent, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but not in the romantic sense - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:41:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22170451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Intensely_Reading/pseuds/Intensely_Reading
Summary: On the streets of Seoul sits a coffee shop like no other. Every day is an adventure at the coffee shop full of sweet moments, great food, and family.Alternatively, BTS run a coffee shop, and these are the moments that happen in the coffee shop.
Relationships: Bangtan Boys Ensemble/Bangtan Boys Ensemble, Everyone/Everyone, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: The Bangtan Bakery [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682560
Comments: 16
Kudos: 125





	The Bangtan Bakery

**Author's Note:**

> So, I wanted to finish this before New Years, but that came and went. Then I wanted to finish this before my break ends, and that came and went. As you can see, I'm very good at keeping with my schedules.
> 
> Also, this story has no plot. No development happens. It's just 10,000+ words of BTS' coffee shop. It's super self-indulgent. So yeah. Just 10,000+ words of fluff.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> Constructive criticism is appreciated.

On the cozy streets of Seoul, a quaint little coffee shop sits on its roads with beige walls and white trimmings. At first glance, it looks like an unsuspecting, regular neighborhood coffee shop. But most people notice the eccentricity of the shop quickly. It’s not hard when the flowers framing the shop have seven different shades. The unconventional color mixture somehow works though. Oranges and yellows and purples and pinks and blues and whites and reds all bring the beige wall interest. Smatterings of multicolored dots color the wall too, and hanging on the glass doors are seven small plushies.

Mounted on the cafe’s front are the words “Bangtan’s Bakery” in cursive white font, making it look almost fancy if the decorations weren’t such a mix of colors and character. But it’s what piques people’s interests and coaxes them to peek inside, where it’s even more lively. The ragtag bunch of decorations in the shop makes it so it almost doesn’t look like a bakery or coffee shop.

Bookshelves line a lounge area with random beanbags and sofas of different colors around it. Another section of the shop is like a mini study nook with many chairs and large tables filled with pens, pencils, paper, and extension cords. There’s an art section filled with paper and paint—the walls in that corner every color of the rainbow. Mario figurines scatter the shop, artworks hang on all four walls of its, and pictures are found throughout the cafe, always framing seven friends. Cafe chairs and tables are plentiful and the only normal thing in the shop. The music that plays is an array of things, from classical to pop to songs produced specially by the shop owners. The order and pick-up counter have all the plushies hanging on the door, but bigger and more plentiful, and the pastries on display all have unconventional names, with the menu almost a pain to navigate through. Most customers will ask for recommendations or choose whatever sounds the most bizarre. The orders never disappoint them.

While people enter the shop because of the character outside and inside of it, they stay for the real characters that run it; Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, Jeon Jungkook. The seven boys always perturb newcomers with their free-spirited ways of running the cafe, but it makes the bakery feel more like a home than a business, and those newcomers always come back for more.

Today is a Monday, and because it’s a Monday, the hyungs were generous and kind to the younger three, and forced them to take the floor starting opening time at six am while they slept in. It’s a slow business in the morning, with most customers coming in later because no one drinks coffee at six am.

“Seriously though, who wants to come to this shop and drink coffee this early?” Taehyung asks, nursing his cup of hot cocoa. Jungkook and Jimin each have a MinSuga latte, both trying to coerce enough will in them to stay awake.

“Apparently we do,” Jimin replies despondently, staring at his coffee in guilty disdain. On Mondays, the three on the floor need to wake up early for opening. But the other four can’t start until their ingredients come, and ingredients don’t arrive until noontime.

“Can we splash water on them out of spite?” Jungkook asks, leaning against the counter and downing his MinSuga latte. He walks to prepare another one and slams the lid of the coffee machine a little too hard.

“I don’t want to die today Jungkookie, but be my guest,” Taehyung says, gesturing to the back where the stairs that lead to their flat are.

The youngest one gives the other two a glum frown.

“They’ll wake up from the hustle and bustle. I don’t know about you guys, but I could never sleep through the noise of the shop.” Jimin pouts to emphasize his point and pours more MinSuga latte into his cup.

Taehyung’s phone alarm rings and the three of them get the bakery ready for opening—wiping tables, sweeping floors, lining displays, filling up milk pitchers and tea leaves and coffee beans—before they have to open. They clean every inch of the area until it’s nearly spotless.

“As the oldest here,” Jimin says, twirling the keys to the bakery in his finger, “I say Jungkookie can do the honors of opening the doors.”

Jungkook casts a glance out the door to the gloomy, depressing sky. It’s still dark out and probably freezing cold, even with the sweatshirts all of them are wearing. But with no will to argue, Jungkook catches the keys and goes to unlock the door. The winds of autumn aren’t subtle at all, and the two older ones still feel the chill coming from the opened door. They watch Jungkook water the flowers and walk back inside, dropping the keys into Jimin’s awaiting hands.

“Thanks for covering us, Jimin.” Taehyung yawns and drags his feet towards one of their many fluffy sofas. He snuggles into the cushions with his hood up, and Jungkook moves to lie next to Taehyung, shifting so that his back is against Taehyung’s chest. Then, they both promptly fall asleep.

Jimin’s fond smiles go unnoticed, so he sits on a chair behind the counter. As the resident early bird of the affectionately titled maknae line, Jimin takes most of the shifts before the crowds come at seven. Anyone coming in for a coffee now will usually be some college kid who attempted an all-nighter, or multiple, and needs a high dose of sugar and caffeine.

The chime of the bell rings. Jimin beams at their first customer of the day.

“Welcome to Bangtan’s Bakery! How may I help you?”

The customer is the epitome of a college student who pulled one too many all-nighters, and Jimin’s heart goes out to the boy. 

“The sugariest, highestly caffeinated drink you have on hand,” the boy says, slamming a wad of cash on the counter. Jimin could not agree more.

“One All-Nighter Antidote coming right up.” Jimin offers a sympathetic smile and hurries over to the coffee machine. “Name?” He asks, before realizing it doesn’t matter because the boy is the only customer.

“Uh, Soobin.”

“Would you like some treats as well with that order?”

“The sugariest, fattest thing you have.”

“Mmm, a Diabetes Dessert then. For here or to go?” Jimin prepares an Americano, deciding that the boy would probably not like an espresso and suddenly start having a hyper attack.

“Either. I can sleep anywhere.”

Jimin nods and rings up Soobin’s order. He fills a paper cup with coffee and condensed milk, topping it with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, and love. Jimin then carefully removes a slice of a four-layered chocolate cake that Seokjin baked on a whim. It’s surprisingly balanced in taste, even with the dangerously high amounts of sugar.

“Um, where are the other two workers?”

“Sleeping.” Jimin nods over to the two lumps on the couch. “You’re a regular?”

“No, but my friend is. He’s got like, all your names and faces memorized with how often he comes. Loves the comedy here.” The poor boy looks so tired and lost. Jimin makes sure to smile whenever he meets his eye. “Calls it the Bangtan Hole. Says once you Jim-in, you can’t Jim-out or something.” Soobin turns and gives Jimin pitifully confused look with his wide, innocent eyes. They remind Jimin of Jungkook’s doe eyes, except Jungkook’s not innocent at all.

“Seokjin hyung would love that joke. Your friend should tell him that the next time he comes.” Jimin hands Soobin his order. His eyes shift to his coworkers for a moment, a sly grin appearing on his face. “Can you push those two lumps off the sofa? We can’t have our reputation ruined because they look like hobos.”

Soobin cutely quirks his brow and nods dumbly.

He moves toward Jungkook and Taehyung. There’s a slight hesitation on his face before he pokes Taehyung in the arm. Jimin counts five pokes before Taehyung stirs and his eyes flutter open, focusing on Soobin’s tense form. They have a conversation and Taehyung looks like he’s about to laugh. He turns to Jimin, then turns to Soobin, and winks. Then, forcefully pushes Jungkook off the sofa.

“Oomph,” Jungkook grunts, landing on the wood floors with a painful thump. His eyes scramble around to find the traitor and land on Taehyung. The glare that’s sent Taehyung’s way is terrifying. Jimin fears for his fellow 95 liner’s life. Jungkook positions his arms and legs and watches Taehyung like a predator and Jimin wants to simultaneously laugh and hide. Soobin, who is standing behind the couch, looks absolutely terrified.

Suddenly, Jungkook lunges for the older boy and Taehyung yelps as he’s pulled ungracefully to the floor. The maknae’s hands find purchase on the armpits and sides and shows his hyung no mercy. Barking laughs are ripped from Taehyung’s mouth, and Jimin laughs along. Taehyung gasps at Jungkook to stop between laughs, but the bunny is cruel. It isn’t until Taehyung screams out pleas for forgiveness that Jungkook stops. Throughout the ordeal, Soobin looks so utterly confused.

“Oh, hi! Sorry, we’re blocking the sofa aren’t we?” Jungkook finally seems to notice Soobin and grins sheepishly at the boy. Soobin ferociously shakes his head. “Here.” Jungkook picks Taehyung up and dumps him on another sofa, before grabbing a blanket in their coffee table basket that Hoseok and Seokjin insisted on having. “Feel free to sleep and use that blanket. Make yourself at home.”

Soobin sits himself down slowly, looking a little torn. It looks like Jungkook and Taehyung scarred him. Jimin will have to reprimand them for traumatizing the boy.

“Sorry, you’re new here I’m guessing? Usually, we’re more poised,” Jungkook says. “Well, at least I think.”

A crash from up above startles everyone and they all hear booming footsteps as someone stomps down the stairs. Jimin—closest to the back—tenses. Jungkook and Taehyung send solemn looks his way, already praying for his quick and painless death. Yoongi slams into the shop like an angry ball of fire. A small, angry ball of fire.

“What are you guys doing screaming like that? I swear, you’ve woken up the whole block with your yells. We’re trying to help our reputation, not completely demolish it! You’d think a bunch of ten-year-olds run this shop, not three respectable adult males over twenty.” Yoongi levels each of them with a scowl which would have looked more intimidating if their hyung was wearing his usual pitch black and boring attire, not the huge pink cookie sweatshirt that’s swallowing his whole frame and warm, pink flannel pajama bottoms. Both were gifts from Seokjin if Jimin remembers correctly.

“Taehyung pushed me off the couch,” Jungkook says, pointing an accusatory finger at said boy.

“Jimin told me to do it.” Taehyung counters, pointing at the boy who’s right in Yoongi’s line of fire.

“Taehyung and Jungkook were taking up too much space napping.”

Yoongi looks unamused. “It’s too early for me to play police. I’m waking up Jin hyung.”

The maknae line shares a glance, before glancing at Soobin who is staring at where Yoongi disappeared, fear in his eyes.

“Sorry. It might not seem like it, but Yoongi is just a small teddy bear who’s constantly sleep-deprived.” Taehyung sends a huge smile Soobin’s way, teeth and all, and Soobin nods. He quickly eats his cake, sets the plate aside, takes a huge gulp from his All-Nighter Antidote, and covers himself with the blanket, making himself as small as possible.

Yoongi comes back down with a pout. “Jin hyung says I have to deal with this mess.”

“Hyung, we’re doing fine. Go up and sleep. The bakery is in good hands.” Jimin directs Yoongi back upstairs, pushing him along.

“Ok, good night then. Don’t burn the bakery down.”

Jimin doesn’t bother to remind Yoongi it’s morning.

Mondays as a whole are one of their busiest, so once rush hour starts and the world is fully awake, the maknae line is quick on their feet. They clean tables, ring up orders, line the displays, and banter back and forth often, even above the din of the shop. For the regular Monday customers, their innocent play fights are like splashes of cold water.

Their first customer, Soobin, leaves close to lunch hour and doesn’t come back until after dinner. Taehyung is at the counter, Jimin is cleaning the tables, and Jungkook is in the back helping the baking crew clean up.

“You’re back! I thought we might have accidentally scared you off. How was your day?” Taehyung asks as soon as Soobin steps up to the counter.

“Um, good,” Soobin replies. He stares at the menu in mild confusion.

Taehyung watches with fond amusement. “Here, just tell me what you’re craving right now.”

Soobin’s gaze snaps back down to Taehyung. “My friend—he’s a regular and said you have the best cakes. He wants like, a happy cake? He’s got the sniffles and wants something to lift his spirits.”

Taehyung nods. “Some Worldwide Tea helps with the sniffles, would you like some? It’s decaf; Jin hyung hates caffeine even though he lives on it.”

“Uh, sure.”

Taehyung rings Soobin up, packs a small, yellow, circular sun-like cake dubbed Hobi Incarnate in a box, and pours the tea in a to-go cup. “Sorry if this morning was too much for you. I promise this bakery isn’t owned by ten-year-olds like Yoongi hyung said.” Taehyung hands Soobin the bag and cup, waiting for the boy to respond.

“Oh, uh… yeah. This place is very—” Soobin pauses, giving the place a once over. He looks a lot more awake and a lot less cowed or confused, “—warm,” he finally says.

Taehyung chuckles. “Is that good or bad?”

“Oh, no no it’s—it’s good. I like it.”

“Then I hope you’ll come visit again, and that your sick friend feels better.”

“Ok.” Soobin offers a small smile and leaves the shop with the tinkling of the door following behind him.

Monday closings are peaceful.

Tuesdays however, are their most rambunctious days. On these days, the hyungs take pity on the maknaes and take the floor, except for Yoongi, who opted out on Tuesdays. While they are the older ones, Seokjin and Hoseok act as if they poop rainbows and sunshine. They liven up the cafe, making the day less lethargic for the Tuesday regulars in more ways than just coffee.

Namjoon is at the counter for most of the time with Seokjin manning the coffee machines and pastry picking and Hoseok switching between busing tables and helping behind the counter. Namjoon almost never touches the coffee machines. They had to replace all of their coffee machines in the years they’ve been in the business because—somehow—he broke all of them.

“Look, in my defense, they looked more suited for antique shops and museums than a coffee shop,” Namjoon grumbles, ringing up the customer.

“Whatever you say Namjoon,” Seokjin says as he hands the previous customer their Sugakookie and Taemint Tea.

“It’s ok, Joon, we still love you!” Hoseok consoles with exaggerated heart fingers while manning said machines.

Namjoon sighs and slumps his shoulders. “Hi, what can I get you today?” He asks the next customer.

The boy in front of him is lanky and young, with round cheeks, a defined jawline, and a cute button nose. He looks very intimidated by the menu and gives Namjoon an unsure smile.

“Uh… what do you suggest?”

Namjoon smiles gently, dimples appearing. “Well, what are you craving for today?”

“I—I don’t know. Two of my hyungs told me about this place and suggested it to me. One of them came yesterday. He wanted to come, but his lectures were lasting too long. He wants a drink here. He told me to surprise him but I’m not sure what would surprise him. Sorry, I’m talking too much, aren’t I? You probably don’t remember them.” The boy looks flustered, making wide gestures with his arms. But Namjoon waits patiently for him to finish.

“Who are they? We might remember,” Namjoon says lightly.

“Soobin hyung and Yeonjun hyung?”

“Oh! I remember Yeonjun!” Hoseok pops up behind the counter, blinding smile on his face. “He’s a regular. He comes here every Friday. Blue hair, round face, my height? Extremely friendly. Acts like Jin hyung.”

“Um. Yeah. And—” the boy hurriedly adds, “Soobin hyung was here yesterday.”

Namjoon vaguely remembers the maknae line mentioning a Soobin who witnessed their scolding from Yoongi yesterday morning. “We were back in the kitchen yesterday, but I think Jimin, JK, and Tae mentioned someone who was here yesterday morning.”

The customer perks up like a puppy. He seems calmed by the information. “Soobin hyung was here then. He pulled an all-nighter and needed coffee. He rarely drinks caffeine, but he says the coffee here is good.”

Namjoon notices Hoseok taking the next customer while Namjoon is conversing, and nudges his sunshine partner in thanks. “Does he like tea?”

“Yeah. Um, actually,” the boy squints at the menu again and seems to try his best to figure out what anything is. “What’s in the Fairy Jimin tea?”

“It’s a fusion of chrysanthemum tea, some jasmine, and lavender with honey. We can add milk if you want too.”

“Uh—ok, that one, and a J-Hope Frappy?”

“Will do! Name?”

“Kai.”

Namjoon writes the order down and pastes it on their order list. “Do you want a pastry?”

“What’s Joon’s Guilty Pleasure?” Kai questions, confused.

Namjoon coughs, frowning at his two partners who are snickering. “It’s a strawberry shortcake with vanilla and strawberry buttercream icing.”

“It’s Namjoon’s favorite,” Seokjin shouts from where he’s pouring some tea. “He’ll steal some from the display when he thinks we aren’t looking.”

“It’s why it has that name,” Hoseok supplies.

Namjoon clears his throat, ears flushing red. “So anyway, would you like some?”

The boy—Kai—looks amused, but in a timid way, like he’s afraid of offending someone. “Yes please, and could I also order a Fruity Tae-art?”

Namjoon nods, glad Kai redirected the conversation to the order. “For here or to go?”

“To go.”

Namjoon rings Kai up and Hoseok packs the pastries while Namjoon takes on the next customer.

“Here’s the pastry, your Fairy Jimin, and your J-Hope frappy,” Hoseok lists.

“Thank you!”

“Of course! Come again!”

Tuesday rush hours are always lighter than Mondays. So, Tuesdays also become the bathroom clean up days, where the hyung line plays rock, paper, scissors to see who has to face the doom. This week, it’s Namjoon’s turn. Once rush hour ends, Seokjin takes the counter, Hoseok clears tables, and Namjoon faces the inevitable.

The door chimes and Soobin and Kai enter the store. Seokjin is pleasantly surprised by the younger boy’s entrance into the shop again.

“My treat NingNing,” Soobin says, a soft smile on his face.

There’s a clatter in the back, and Taehyung comes running outside, followed by a flustered Jimin and a frustrated Yoongi.

“Soobin! Welcome back!” Taehyung beams. He’s got flour and batter stuck in his hair and on his apron and a smudge of pink icing on his face. Seokjin thinks it’s fitting.

“Tae stop—oh, hello! It’s nice to see you again!” Jimin says, wiping away the icing on Taehyung’s face with his thumb. “Is this your friend that had the sniffles yesterday?”

Soobin seems mildly surprised by the ruckus and Jimin’s memory but shakes his head. “No, this is Huening Kai. The friend who has the sniffles still has the sniffles.”

“Aw, that‘s terrible. I hope they get better.” Jimin gives a sympathetic smile Soobin’s way. “And hello Kai! I hope to see you around here.”

“Taehyung, you almost dropped a whole sheet of cookies.” Jungkook’s annoyed voice enters the room, and the said maknae appears, crowding the counter unnecessarily. “Oh, Soobin! Nice to see you here again!” Soobin waves nervously.

“Ok!” Seokjin claps his hands, getting everyone’s attention. “Everyone leave. This counter is too small for all of you. Yoongi, please lasso the maknae line back into the kitchen.” Seokjin starts pushing against the backs of whoever is closest, leading them back to the kitchen.“Aren’t there plates to clean and pastries to be made? Chop chop. They aren’t gonna make themselves. Ok? Ok. Bye!”

“You heard hyung. Come on brats. We gotta complete our competition on who can make the best Taemin Sugakookie.” Through some grumbling, Seokjin finally gets the counter to himself.

“So what can I get you two?” Seokjin asks.

“What do you um—suggest?”

“Depends on what you’re feeling for. Something relaxing, something savory, something sweet? What are you craving?”

The two students share a glance, before turning and eyeing the sofas in the corner.

“We were hoping for something relaxing. Our sick friend suggested sitting here to relax.”

“Hah, I’m surprised they could relax in a shop like this. But if it’s something relaxing you’d like, how about the LaJinder Tae and some Suga Biscuits to go with it?”

“Uh, sure.” Soobin hands Seokjin the money and Seokjin hurries to prepare the order.

“How do you remember all the items?” Kai asks innocently.

Seokjin smiles kindly at him. “When our crew started Bangtan Bakery, we wanted to incorporate all of our different characters into this cafe. Even though it’s mismatched, it fits, because that’s what we are. A bunch of puzzle pieces that unexplainably fit together. There are discrepancies, but we make it work. We made our menu with the same idea.” Seokjin hands the LaJinder Tae to the two boys and plates some Suga Biscuits. “It’s confusing, it’s funny, and the names are insane, but that’s what we are. The names are all inside jokes too, so it’s easy to memorize the menu.”

“Aww hyung, that was so sweet.” Hoseok coos where he’s wiping tables, sending finger hearts Seokjin’s way. Not one to be outdone, Seokjin’s sends a dramatic flying kiss towards the younger who snatches it and hold it close to his heart. “It also helps that I was one of the people who designed it.”

“That’s really cool! The seven of you must be really close then,” Soobin says.

“If by close you mean I could confidently describe their living habits as disgusting, then yes. We’re close.” Hoseok squawks indignantly. “When we opened, I was the only competent one in cooking. Yoongi and Jungkook were ok. Jimin and Hoseok I could leave knowing they wouldn’t burn the building down. But Namjoon and Taehyung… I’d have to pray.”

The doors leading to the kitchen open and Jungkook head pops out, staring at Seokjin with a dry smile. “Would you like to bake these cookies by yourself, hyung?”

“Ah, no—thanks for the offer though Jungkookie.” Seokjin smiles serenely at the youngest, and hands the pastries and drinks off to Soobin and Kai.

Their Tuesdays are uneventful, but it doesn’t make them any less amusing or fun. By the time Soobin and Kai leave the shop, Hoseok and Seokjin are closing the shop, and the bakers from the back have come out to help.

“This shop is really popular. The amount of customers you have coming in is amazing. They stay for so long too,” Soobin says.

“Thank you, but we’re still tiny compared to other shops,” Hoseok says, joining the last two customers on the sofa. “I think people like this place because it’s comfortable and very colorful. It only looks pretty because we have people like Taehyung-ah and Jiminie decorating it for us.”

“I think people also stay for the seven of you though,” Kai replies. “You’re all so close and so comfortable with each other. It makes the shop feel less cold and empty like most shops. The chattering makes this whole place feel familiar.”

“Thank you,” Hoseok smiles. His eyes drift over to a window facing the darkening sky outside. “Aigoo, it’s getting late. You two should leave soon. Do you need anything? A ride or some extra food?”

“Oh, no thanks… Hoseok-ssi.” Soobin squints at Hoseok’s nametag, and Hoseok laughs.

“Hyung is fine for any of us ok? Especially Jungkook. He’s the bunny maknae in our group—he’ll freeze up if you call him that. It’s so cute.”

“Soobin hyung, we should recommend this place to Taehyun hyung and Beomgyu hyung. They’d love it here.” Kai says animatedly.

“Yeonjun hyung only tells them to come here every other day,” Soobin says wryly.

“They'd want to come if we told them too.” Kai smiles at Hoseok. “We’ll get our friends to come here. I like this place. Whenever I have time I’ll be sure to come again.”

“Thank you. But seriously, you two should get going. We’ll see you around!”

Tuesday closings are always quiet, comfortable procedures.

Wednesdays are the wild card days. Ingredients are delivered on Thursdays, so they use up all their leftover ingredients to not mix the old with the new and stock up on pastries before the latter half of the days come rushing by. On Wednesdays, five people are in the kitchen, and the ones mainly on the floor are the famous Sugakookie duo. But at random times one of the bakers in the back will get bored and come out to help with customers, help with cleaning, help make drinks, or banter and ruin the harmony Jungkook and Yoongi try to uphold. Usually it’s the latter.

Wednesday openings are unpredictable days. Some people fall into the midweek slump and desperately need the coffee to last, while the luckier bunch have adapted to the routine of the week. Between Jungkook and Yoongi, they alternate on who’s taking orders and who’s making the drinks and bagging pastries—and whenever there’s a small break in between, they’ll bus the dishes. It’s a well-oiled machine most of the time. When it’s not though, the two can pull up their trusty lifeline card.

“Bangtan Bakery, what can I get you?” Yoongi drones monotonously. Jungkook frowns at the lack of energy and nudges him.

“Uh… the V Victory macchiato please.”

“Name?”

“Beomgyu.”

“Any pastries you’d like?”

Beomgyu furrows his brows at the displays. “That one?”

“The Sugakookies?”

“Yes!”

“Coming right up.”

Yoongi and Jungkook switch places once Jungkook has passed on his drinks.

“Hyung, stop sounding so bored. It’s not helping people feel confident,” Jungkook whines.

“Once you stop spacing out, I’ll stop being unbothered by life,” Yoongi retorts thoughtlessly.

“Uh, excuse me. What’s in the V Victory macchiato?” Yoongi turns his head to Beomgyu. The boy has silvery hair and is significantly taller than him—but Yoongi’s not scared.

“Chocolate, Whipped cream, vanilla, etc. Think of a sweet treat in a coffee. Happiness in a cup.”

“Oh.”

Hoseok chooses that moment to slam through the doors, surprising everyone but his coworkers who barely flinch, much less spare him a glance.

“Sugakookie! How are we doing? Here are some treats from the back for you to munch on. They look ugly but I swear they taste good.” Hoseok stuffs a raspberry danish into both of their faces, chortling at the fondly exasperated looks he earns from both of them.

“Sugakookie?” Beomgyu inquires.

“Yoongi hyung goes under the alias Suga when producing music, and my name is Jungkook, so Sugakookie,” Jungkook explains through chewing on his pastry.

Beomgyu’s eyes light up and he stares at Yoongi. “You produce music?”

Hoseok beams, wrapping his arm around Yoongi’s shoulders. “Yep! He’s our producing music genius.” Yoongi gives a bashful smile, but harrumphs and steps away.

“His songs are really good! We’ll sometimes play them over the speakers,” Jungkook says happily.

“It’s only because I have good voices over them,” Yoongi says. Jungkook and Hoseok grin. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” Beomgyu gives a smile, hesitates, and sits himself in a chair close to the counter.

“I should get back. They wanted me to do a good deed for you two, but we also had no other way of getting rid of those rejects.” Hoseok says.

“Thanks for giving us the rejects then hyung,” Jungkook says wryly.

“Anytime.”

On Wednesdays, it isn’t uncommon to see all seven members. Seokjin appears for a few minutes to fill the empty trays and make a few jokes for the sake of annoying and endearing the two baristas, the other bakers ban Namjoon from the kitchen for a few minutes while the stand mixer is running to avoid injury and destruction of bakery property so he waits with the baristas, Jimin comes when the pastries are baking because he’s bored, and Taehyung appears after the rush hour dies down to relax on the sofa and banter back and forth with the other two.

“Time to close up.” Yoongi claps his hands together. He scans the area and lands on Beomgyu, who’s watching Jungkook bus the plates to the back. “Hey, excuse me, but we’ll be closing soon.”

Beomgyu spins towards Yoongi and his eyes widen. “Oh, sorry.” He starts to pack his stuff and Yoongi goes to sweep the floor of any leftover crumbs.

“The seven of you seem close,” Beomgyu mentions offhandedly.

“We are,” Yoongi hears Jungkook say. Yoongi can imagine the hints of a smile on his face, and it makes him smile.

“But, um—if you mind me asking—isn’t a little uncomfortable to show your friendship to strangers you don’t know?”

There’s a beat of silence. Yoongi rises from his sweeping, glancing at Jungkook who’s standing by Beomgyu.

“It was in the beginning. It was hard for us to talk at all in front of an audience as freely as we do now, or show our antics as much as we do. But as much as we wanted to make people happy here, we also wanted to be happy while working. Maybe that’s a selfish decision on our part, but we wanted the bakery to be like another home for all of us. So we redecorated the shop, installed some speakers, and made it more like us.”

“It helps that before we considered opening a bakery together, we were very close,” Yoongi adds. “We knew each other since high school.”

“Wow,” Beomgyu breaths, “It must be nice then,” he says almost wistfully.

“Yeah. Even if we squabble a lot, and they constantly annoy me, I wouldn’t trade them for the world.” Yoongi states firmly.

“Aw, thanks hyung,” Jungkook wraps his arms around his hyung’s shoulders, a big smile on his face.

“My Yoongle senses are tingling, did Yoongi just say something sweet?” Seokjin appears from the kitchen, and his face brightens at Yoongi and Jungkook hugging.

“What did Yoongi hyung say?” Hoseok asks as he steps out too, followed closely by the others. “Aww! Group hug guys!”

It doesn’t take long for the others to catapult over the counter and engulf Yoongi and Jungkook so they’re unnoticeable. Or for Yoongi to get smushed once Jungkook repeats what Yoongi said—and even though Yoongi is grumbling, there’s no denying his gummy smile. 

Wednesday closings are happy affairs.

Early opening Thursdays are by far their most awake mornings. Seokjin and Namjoon are early birds, and while Taehyung isn’t the greatest at waking up, he tries his best. Namjoon and Seokjin always make sure Taehyung has as many cups of hot cocoa as it takes to wake him up in the morning.

Thursdays are also the days where new ingredients are delivered. For the other four bakers, they have little incentive to wake up earlier than twelve, when the ingredients are dropped off. If the counter needs refills, Seokjin, Namjoon, and Taehyung take from Wednesday’s batch.

“I don’t get why I have to take the days when ingredients are delivered. The others do nothing on those days,” Taehyung pouts into his fourth cup of hot cocoa.

“You chose these days,” Namjoon reminds gently from the artist nook, cleaning papers and organizing materials.

“Yeah, but that was before I knew ingredients came on Mondays and Thursdays,” Taehyung whinges, giving the older two wide, pitying eyes. When the two pay him no mind, he pouts and downs the hot cocoa like a shot and pours himself another.

Seokjin arranges the Kookies and Cream cake on full display. He knew that eventually Taehyung will get on a sugar high and be ready to take on the day, but before then, he will grieve over his lost sleep. “The bakery still opens at the same time everyday Taehyung. But if you want to achieve vengeance for your injustice,” Seokjin turns to the younger one, a mischievous smile on his face, “We can scream at their lazy butts to wake up if they don’t all come down by ten.”

That earns a small smile from Taehyung, but he’s still pouting in his oversized sweatshirt, and while Seokjin wants to get rid of the pout and make Taehyung happier, it brings in customers when the workers are acting cute. But true to his word, Seokjin allows Taehyung to wake up the others at ten. Jungkook and Yoongi look like they’re about to commit murder when they come down. Jimin and Hoseok attempt to act a little more put together, but the obvious grimaces they throw Taehyung’s way aren’t unnoticed.

By ten, when people need coffee breaks and pastries the most and when snack time is imperative, the bakery gains a modest amount of customers. These customers will stick by until after lunchtime when work or class calls for their customers again. But sometimes people come looking for late lunches.

A boy runs through the bakery doors, startling the last of the lunchtime crowds, and literally catapults to the counter, startling Namjoon and making Taehyung spill the Chai Jimin he is making. Profuse apologies and curses leave Taehyung’s mouth, which makes Seokjin laugh, which only adds to Taehyung’s miff.

“Good afternoon!” Namjoon greets. “What would you like?”

“Anything lunch-ish? I have an essay due in three hours and didn’t start it. Also, your most energizing drink,” the boy says. Taehyung glances at the boy curiously.

“We have some savory pastries I guess. There’s a Hoseokie side up souffle? Jiminie Quiche? What are you feeling?”

“Very, very stressed,” the boy deadpans.

“Give him the Yoongi pick-me-up Joon,” Seokjin says from his place of busing tables.

“And a Maknae Frap. Those are pretty energizing,” Taehyung adds.

“Ok then, name?”

“Taehyun.” Even with his flustered worry and stress, he looks utterly confused by the three’s conversation. “What are you saying? How are new people supposed to get through your menu when it doesn’t make any sense?”

“Take a ‘surprise me,’ or a guess, or ask us to recommend you a pastry that fits your needs.” Namjoon shrugs. “I don’t make the rules.”

“You literally are the owner, baker, barista, busboy, manager, finance manager, and menu maker. Don’t lie.” Taehyung spares no one, especially not Namjoon. Namjoon frowns at the younger.

“Ok then, is there anywhere I can work for the next three hours where no one will disturb me?” Taehyun asks.

“The study corner or bookshelf corner. They’re both supposed to be makeshift workspaces.” Namjoon gestures to the bookshelf-filled area with desks, beanbags, sofas, and fuzzy carpets that were all Jimin’s doing, and the large tables with pencils, paper, and extension cords on the other side. “We were all students once, so we understand.” Taehyung hands Taehyun the frappuccino and plates the Yoongi pick-me-up—a savory parcel pastry made of pastry bread, tomatoes, spinach, and whatever cooked meat they have at their disposal. They are a bakery, so they try not to stray too far from sweet treats, but Yoongi is also an artist—a very sleep-deprived one. Some of their strongest coffees are from his midnight coffee breaks and their savory pastries are from Yoongi’s early morning snack breaks. They always end up being the most delicious things they have on the menu or the most disgusting. It changes with the day, week, month, and phase of the moon.

“Are you by any chance, one of Soobin and Kai’s friends? They came here on Tuesday and I think they mentioned a Taehyun.” Seokjin appears from behind Taehyun, scaring him. He squeaks and splutters, jumping away from Seokjin.

“Um—yes. They forced me to come here. Beomgyu hyung and Yeonjun hyung too.” A sour face appears on the young boy’s face, and Seokjin laughs.

“They kept their word then.” Seokjin gives a small, approving nod and winks, making Taehyun quirk his eyebrow, eyes widening exponentially. “Good luck with your essay!”

“Thank you…” Taehyun stares at Seokjin while he saunters around the cafe, a little put off by the relaxed behavior of the place, but grabs his food and sits either way. Namjoon and Taehyung share a glance, and come to the agreement that they overwhelmed their new customer, as they often do. It’s funny in a sadistic way to witness their confusion; everyone in the bakery relishes these moments.

During Thursdays, people are more likely to buy sweets since it’s close to the end of the workweek; so, their little stockpile of goodies from Wednesday has a noticeable dent in them. But the bakers are diligent and bake enough food to last them until Saturday, trying to use up as many of their ingredients. On Thursdays, Jimin, Jungkook, Hoseok, and Yoongi always make sure there’s an extra sheet pan of pastries for their extra sheet pans of pastries to make it through the end of the week.

“How did you guys meet?” Taehyun asks. The sun is making its descent downward, and it’s after dinner by the time Taehyun comes back to the cafe. Namjoon is making a Taehyung’s Special Hot Cocoa for Taehyun while Taehyung mans the register. Seokjin is off experimenting on foods in their kitchen as per usual whenever there’s a break on the floor. The people in front will often bring something to do while waiting for a lull in the work to pass. For them, it’s a nice escape from work, and the customers that pass by are always curious to watch bits and pieces of the owners’ hobbies.

“Hm,” Taehyung pauses, a small frown on his features. Eventually, he huffs and turns to Namjoon, inquisitive. “How long has it been since we met?”

The latter whistles lowly, his musings causing his eyes to become unfocused. “Jin hyung is twenty-seven this year? We’ve known each other for ten years then.”

The younger one stills at the register, eyes widening. “Oh my god, that's like, almost half my lifetime.”

“Basically half of Jungkook’s.” Namjoon turns to Taehyun’s patiently waiting form, his eyes containing mild curiosity. “We met in high school,” Namjoon supplies. “Jin hyung was in his junior year and Yoongi hyung in his sophomore year. Hoseokie and I were both freshman and Taehyungie, Jimin, and Jungkook were all in middle school.”

“Hobi hyung and Namjoon hyung, and ChimChim and I were childhood friends.” Taehyung fiddles with his fingers slightly, a big smile on his face. “Jiminie and I met Jungkook during that summer right?”

Namjoon nods. “Hobi, Jimin, and Jungkook were all taking this summer school dance class, so that’s how they met. I met Yoongi hyung through this composition class in high school. It was literally only seven people—me, Yoongi hyung, and Hobi included.”

“I think Jin hyung met Jungkook through their brothers. Their brothers became friends, so by proxy, those two were expected to get along.” Taehyung murmurs. “Jin hyung was also very popular and knew a lot of people.”

“I think that one summer when we got together was the catalyst for everything. Jin hyung was becoming a senior, so Jungkookie thought he was cool to hang around him and introduced him to Jimin, Taehyung, and Hoseok. Taehyung and Jimin were becoming freshman and Jimin looped Hoseok in hanging out with them, which was when Hoseok looped me and Yoongi into hanging out too. We all met each other, and we’ve been friends ever since.”

“Wow...” Taehyun says in a hushed whisper. “But how did you guys keep in touch in college?”

“Jungkook and Jin hyung were serious besties. They gamed with each other almost every night and Taehyung would join them,” Namjoon says seriously. “Jimin, Jungkook, and Hoseok were all still on the same dance team, so that didn’t change. Yoongi hyung, Hobi and I were also still taking the same dying class together. We’d all also try to meet up often. It helped that Jin hyung’s university wasn’t far from our schools.”

“I think by the time we all entered university, we decided to room together.” Taehyung continues. “We were supporting ourselves pretty well at that point, and we all majored in different fields, so everyone had something to bring to the table. It’s a miracle that all of us could keep track of our stuff in that little apartment complex though.”

“If you all majored in different fields, what happened to your degrees after opening this bakery?” Taehyun asks hesitantly, shifting eyes away from the two boys.

“It helped us make enough money to get through the first few years. A lot of us still do the things we majored in, but the bakery is our full-time job.” Namjoon says. He looks at the drink in his hand and frowns. “Oh, wait.” With a sheepish expression, he hands Taehyun his lukewarm hot cocoa. “Sorry. Would you like another one?”

“Oh, no it’s ok. It’s not your fault. I kept you two busy with my questions. Sorry.” Taehyun lowers his head in bashful guilt. Both Taehyung and Namjoon melt.

“It’s ok! We love talking to our customers. Plus, it was nice looking back at our old memories.” Taehyung says.

A slam from the kitchen reverberates through the cafe, surprising it’s slowly dwindling occupants. Seokjin comes through the doors, holding a tray of some new dish. Jungkook, Hoseok, Jimin, and Yoongi follow him out like ducks, bringing out trays of their already pre-existing pastries.

“I’ve come up with a new creation!” Seokjin boldly shows off his tray while the others from the kitchen to refill their half-emptied displays. On it is a mango-vanilla looking panna cotta, each part separated cleanly down a diagonal divide. There are seven cups for the seven people who run Bangtan Bakery. “I need you guys to be my guinea pigs and see if they taste good and if we can put it on the menu.”

“Thank you Jin hyung!” Taehyung bounds up to the tray and plucks a cup off. “What will you name it?”

“I don’t know. One of you will probably come up with a cool name,” Seokjin answers carelessly, eyeing Taehyung’s cup with interest. The others take their own cups, and Seokjin expectantly waits for an answer.

“It’s delicious like always hyung.” Jimin says, and the others nod in silent agreement.

“Of course.” Seokjin puffs his chest out and stands taller. “I expect no less. But I want to know whether I can put it on the menu.” He pauses, and adds jokingly as an afterthought, “I can’t be the only one baking it, you know.”

“Just put it on the menu. We all know you will, no matter what we say,” Yoongi says.

“Hey,” protests Seokjin. “We run a democratic bakery. There will be no dictatorship under my roof.”

“Put it on hyung,” Namjoon says, idly sticking his spoon into the panna cotta. “I think we’re all in agreement that it’s good.”

“Jungkookie and I can come up with a name! We were just practicing dance covers in the kitchen, anyway.” Hoseok jumps on Jungkook, clinging on him with his arms draped across the younger’s neck.

“Ok then dongsaengs, you can all return to the kitchens now. There are still a few things to bake before we’re done! Chop chop!” Seokjin disappears behind the doors of the kitchen again and the other bakers follow again.

By the time the streetlights turn on outside and the stars are appearing, the kitchen is clean and those in the back have all left their posts, ready to help close the shop with nothing else to do.

“Thanks for the company, and the drinks,” Taehyun says, bowing his head in humble respect.

“Of course! Come back anytime you want.” Taehyung waves enthusiastically to the younger boy with a smile.

“Time to close up. I want to sleep soon please,” Yoongi says.

“You’re welcome for keeping the shop clean,” Seokjin states, handing out brooms and rags. “Hobi, JK, what did you end up naming my baby?”

“Trophy Seokjin: the panna cotta delight,” says Jungkook.

Seokjin’s face scrunches up in distaste. “It’s so boring though.”

Hoseok suddenly jerks his arm in Jungkook’s direction indignantly. “See! I told you.”

“You were about to name it Sunshine Smiley Face Sparkles hyung. There are literally no smiley faces on Jin hyung’s panna cotta.”

“There weren’t any trophies either!”

“It’s yellow, like a gold trophy!”

“It’s also yellow like a smiley face or the sun!”

“The sun’s not yellow hyung. It’s just blinding.”

“Ask any kid and they’ll tell you water is blue, grass is green, and the sun is yellow.”

“Kids don’t make the rules hyung.”

“That’s a shame. They should—”

“Guys,” Seokjin yells. “We are a democracy. There will be no dictatorship under this roof. So, we will vote!”

Thursday’s closings always end excitingly.

On Fridays, it’s exuberant all day. People come craving for their last pastries of the working week, and lively chatter fills the air, making the bakery even brighter. Plus, the members on the floor are two of the most notoriously bubbly, cheery people in the bakery. The third one prefers naps and quiet silence, but he adds a sense of calm to the increased influx of dopamine in the bakery.

“Hello, Yeonjun!” Hoseok waves from the register at their customer. It’s all bright smiles and excited grins for both of them.

“Good afternoon hyung!”

“I’m glad you’re feeling better! We’ve all heard from your friends that you weren’t feeling well,” Hoseok says, sending sympathetic looks his way.

“Oh… thanks.”

Jimin suddenly bumps against Hoseok, forcefully entering the conversation.“Hi! I’m Jimin. You must be Yeonjun! It’s nice to meet you!”

“Nice to meet you too!” Yeonjun replies with a friendly grin. Jimin grins back.

“So what can we get you today?” Hoseok asks.

“Uh…” Yeonjun scans the menu, squinting at it. He gives up a moment later and smiles almost cheekily. “Surprise me please.”

“As always!” Hoseok enters the order just as Yoongi exits the kitchen with a tray full of new pastries.

“They’re ahead of schedule. The others are literally cranking out pastries like machines. At this rate, they’ll finish before dinner.” Yoongi moans petulantly while stocking the displays. “I want some free time too.”

“It’s Friday hyung,” Jimin placates, a soft smile on his face.

“We still work tomorrow Jimin,” Yoongi deadpans.

“But Saturdays are always fun workdays Yoongle hyung. Everyone is out and about, we spend most of the day messing around, and only one of us really needs to be serious.” Hoseok hands Yeonjun his change after he rings him up, and passes by his two coworkers while moving to the coffee machine.

“You all work during Saturdays?” Yeonjun asks curiously. “I didn’t know this was open on weekends.”

“Of course! Saturdays are fun days though, so it’s not really a workday,” Jimin says brightly.

“Sunday the store is closed though. But we still allow people to buy things. They just can’t stay in the shop.” Yoongi places the tray down and shifts a few of the pastries to look more artful, and not like a heap. “You should come on Saturday’s if chaos is your thing.”

“Noted,” Yeonjun replies wryly, eyes skipping between the three workers. “What happens on Saturday’s though?”

“Come here tomorrow and you’ll see!” Jimin winks at the younger. “Bring your whole group too! It’ll be fun! We can all meet each other!”

“Does your group have a name?” Hoseok asks. “I remember when we were younger, we named our group.”

Yoongi groans, pink dusting his pale cheeks. “Stop Hobi.”

“What?” Hobi asks indignantly. “It was cute.”

“The Bulletproof Boy Scouts was not a cute name,” Yoongi says plainly.

“Yes. It was.” Hoseok insists seriously. “Bangtan Sonyeondan. BTS. Ingenious.”

“Is that what inspired the bakery name?” Yeonjun asks.

Jimin nods in affirmation when the other two ignore Yeonjun, too engrossed in their debate. “We wanted to choose something that represented us as a group, so a childhood name seemed fitting. But I think all of us thought the Bulletproof Boy Scouts was too much of a mouthful, so we switched it to Bulletproof Bakery.”

“I thought it was cute.” Hoseok pouts. He pours an RM and grabs a newly added Sunshine Trophy Seokjin from the trays, handing it to Yeonjun. “We still call ourselves BTS.”

“What does it stand for now then?”

“Behind the Seen,” Yoongi says

“Bangtan Sonyeondan,” Hoseok insists

“Bangtan Squad,” Jimin answers.

All three of them eye the others in shock. 

“Guys, it’s always been Bangtan Sonyeondan,” Hoseok frowns.

“We changed it, Hoseok.”

“We didn’t hyung. We can go ask the others if you’re so sure; and why would we change it? It’s literally our childhood. It’s our group name.”

“Because it was cheesy and deserved to stay in our childhood.”

“It’s a special part of what makes us  _ us _ !”

“Which is why we kept the abbreviation, not the words.”

Jimin looks at the squabble between his hyungs with patience and exasperation. “And people assume I’m the immature one of the three of us,” Jimin mutters. He turns to Yeonjun and smiles sweetly. “So? Any group name?”

Yeonjun looks sheepishly at his orders, trying to hide his reddening cheeks. It would’ve worked if not for his reddening ears. “We do.”

“What is it?” Jimin prompts gently.

“TXT, because we text each other to ask about college assignments too much.” Yeonjun smiles fondly. “It’s a blessing we haven’t like, collectively failed.”

“Does it stand for anything other than text?”

“It does. Tomorrow X Together.”

Jimin coos. “That’s so sweet. A lot sweeter than ours.”

Yeonjun laughs.

On Fridays, it’s just a rule that everyone buys a pastry and splurges their lunch money on delicious sweets. Pastry sales are always the highest on Fridays. Fridays are always the busiest, with their Wednesday pastry stash almost completely gone. The bakery also tends to be very messy by the end of the day, a lot more so than the other days. Someone is always on busing duty, whether it’s the people on the floor or the bakers who have nothing better to do.

“Actually though hyung, why do we have the opening so early? No one sane is awake at six am and out looking for coffee and pastries,” Yoongi reasons.

“We still have business at six am though hyung, so it’s not no one,” Jimin says. It’s almost nine and Bangtan Bakery is being cleaned for the day with dirty dishes being washed and tables wiped away of crumbs.

“Yoongi just doesn’t want to wake up tomorrow at five-thirty to get the shop ready.” Hoseok yawns through his tired smile. “But tomorrow will be better because everyone will be out.”

“We still have to wake up early,” Yoongi mutters petulantly.

“Brighten up, buttercup!” Seokjin says, impossibly bright for how busy and long the day had been. “If open early, we catch all the business people!”

“The early bird gets the worm!” Namjoon adds.

“Well, the late ones get to sleep,” Yoongi retorts.

Jungkook slams his cleaning spray on the counter and places a tray full of hot chocolate on one of the dining tables. “I made hot chocolate. I think we need it.”

“Ah, Jungkookie!” Seokjin yells dramatically. “Thank you! Truly the Golden Maknae.” The oldest slides over to the tray and takes a cup. The others parrot his words, taking sips of chocolate goodness while they tidy up the place for the last little stretch.

Fridays always end with lethargy and warm fuzzy feelings while they work together in silent tandem. They’re a team after all.

Saturdays are chaos incarnate. The morning people never pass up the opportunity to wake the others with loud pots and pans using the equipment from their kitchen. They clang around like a marching band in their shared flat above the bakery playing Dope—written and produced by their very own—to wake the more sleepy ones. As condolence, there’s usually some coffee or hot chocolate or a serving of their favorite treat to kick start those who don’t wake up early.

“You guys look horrible.” Seokjin’s chipper tone contrasts starkly with Jungkook, Yoongi, Taehyung, and Hoseok’s expressions.

“You three don’t look as great as you think either hyung,” Jungkook retorts with no bite.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about JK,” Seokjin says. He lifts his head and sniffs pompously.

“Ok guys, it’s Saturday. All we need to do is sell the majority of our food.” Namjoon collects the group over their hot chocolate, smiling at the faces of his team in front of him. “So let’s all have fun today. We are a team, and we’ll run this bakery together as a team like always. Let’s go!”

“Bangtan!” The others scream in reply with varying levels of awakeness.

Customers don’t really start arriving until well into brunch time; but when they do, the bakery thrives. Yoongi fiddles with the music controls, shuffling through seasonal songs, top hundred, and original songs as more people come in and the atmosphere changes from lazy to boisterous.

“Have you and Namjoon hyung sent your songs to a label yet to get them published?” Jungkook asks offhandedly, sitting in the chair next to Yoongi’s. The others are busy chatting to customers with friendly smiles and compliant expressions. The Sugakookie duo is in charge of taking orders from incoming customers and stocking displays while the others are out and about.

Yoongi nods silently and hums, messing around with what seems to be the beats of a new song. The soft, dulcet tones of Heartbeat play through the speakers, barely there, but blanketing the shop. Quietly, Yoongi hands Jungkook an earbud, and Jungkook listens to Yoongi’s newest track while he messes around with it, scanning the others who now seem to be engaged in a debate on who is the best baker. It’s a worthless debate though; obviously it’s him.

The bell dings, and Jungkook watches as a group of five vaguely familiar people enter the cafe. The others of BTS greet the group in happy surprise. Taking out the earbud, Jungkook approaches the register with a smile.

“Hi! Welcome to Bangtan Bakery. What can I get you?”

“Um, hyung?” The tallest one turns to the blue-haired. Jungkook squints at the one who spoke before it clicks.

“Oh! You’re Soobin! So then you must be Yeonjun. You’re Beomgyu, Kai, and you’re Taehyun?” Jungkook points to them individually, their expressions ranging from sheepish to confused to creeped out. “The hyungs told me about you. TXT right?”

The four turn to Yeonjun, all narrowed eyes and scrunched up faces.

“Yeonjun hyung,” the silver-haired one, Beomgyu, cries in annoyance. “We agreed to keep it between us five.”

Yeonjun raises his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry! Jimin hyung asked me. They told me their group name, so it only seemed fair!”

“Oh yeah, they argued about yesterday. It lasted really late into the night. We ended up having a lecture on what a team name is and its importance instead of, you know, sleeping.”

“They ended up saying it’s both Bangtan Sonyeondan and Bangtan Set,” Yoongi adds childishly.

“Would you like to order something?” Jungkook asks, returning the attention back to the order at hand.

“Uh… is there anything that can feed all of us?” Yeonjun asks. “We’re planning to stay here all day.”

“Would you like a cake then?” Jungkook gestures to the many cakes on display. “Like… the BTS?”

“What’s that?” Kai asks.

“Bangtan Special. It’s a secret what’s in it, but we recommend.” Jungkook takes out a small-sized circular cake decorated with the words Bangtan Bakery on top.

“Uh, sure, let’s order it. Would you guys like drinks?” Soobin turns to the others with a raised eyebrow. Everyone answers with an enthusiastic affirmative and Jungkook grins.

“Can we have a surprise on the drinks?” Taehyun asks. “Yeonjun says that’s what you guys usually do with your menu.”

“What are you craving then?”

“I think… after such a long week—” Beomgyu starts, meeting eyes with his group for permission before returning to Jungkook, “We all want something sweet.”

“So, that’ll be five orders of the Weekend Wonder. Yoongi hyung!” Jungkook shouts at his hyung, who sends the youngest a scowl. Begrudgingly, Yoongi comes to help, and the two work together in silent harmony, Jungkook poking Yoongi many times in between.

“What’s the song playing now?” Beomgyu asks curiously.

Jungkook instinctively glances at the speakers, straining to hear the notes. “Heartbeat.”

“Who made it?” Kai asks. His eyes sparkle from the light’s reflection, genuinely curious now that his hyung asked. “It’s really pretty.”

Jungkook beams. “The hyungs did. We all sang in the song, but Yoongi hyung, Namjoon hyung, and Hobi hyung produced the song!”

“Wow, really?” Taehyun leans forward against the counter in interest, his mouth forming a small “o” as he stared at Yoongi.

“Namjoon and I majored in music production.” Yoongi shrugs, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Hyung is really good! If things work out, they could release an album sometime soon.” Jungkook gushes. He brings the five drinks over and hands them a tray of five cake slices.

“That’s really cool!” Yeonjun says.

“I can’t take all the credit though, because everyone in the bakery helped make the pieces,” Yoongi says.

“Wow.” The group of five boys look star-struck by the two baristas.

Kai says almost dazedly, “Everyone in this bakery seems so happy with their lives. It’s so cool that you all can run a full-time cafe and still have time for your own hobbies.”

“It’s not as amazing as it seems,” Yoongi admits. “We all live quite frugally; we share the same flat, share the same money, and share the same groceries. We are by no means rich, and when we started, we all had to take up another outside job part-time to support ourselves.”

“But you all still stuck with this bakery,” Taehyun states.

Yoongi nods. “It’s our creation. In a sense, the bakery has a part of all our souls poured in through our blood, sweat, and tears.” His gaze travels throughout the bakery with a fond look, eyes gravitating towards the special nooks and crannies that TXT couldn’t see. But the younger five could still see the very personal parts of the bakery, and the realness of it in the dusty bookshelves and hung up photos and hand-drawn works of art and even the music playing through it. “You should go find a table before it gets too crowded.” Yoongi says, shooing the group off. 

Eventually, Seokjin replaces Jungkook and Yoongi behind the counter and the rest of the members of BTS socialize and have fun joking around like friends. On Saturdays, the bakery fills with a more fun-loving air than any of the days, and cafe goers can see why it is seven; no more and no less. There’s something about the boys that makes sense underneath the teasing and the joking and the mocking. They are genuinely close, and their interactions are natural and it makes their restaurant seem warm and homely in a way that decor could never replicate. The amount of people who come fluctuates on Saturdays, but the bakery always has people. Somehow, the bakery makes people feel more connected. It’s all their moments of friendship that make the cafe so much more personable.

Taehyung will ask, “Jungkook why do you have so many carrots?” and Jungkook will give Taehyung a guilty look with no reply. Namjoon will have his cheeks squished by Jimin with an indulgent expression, and Jimin will smile his brightest smile. Hoseok will entertain the maknae line with cutesy actions, and the younger ones will give their sunshine hyung hearts in return. Seokjin will jokingly reprimand Yoongi for minor things like his unsocial demeanor, and Yoongi will start avoiding him once Seokjin starts rapidly spitting his arguments in one breath. Jungkook will say, “Hyung,” and everyone will respond at his beck and call. And the hugs between the members at random intervals. Seokjin putting his arm around Taehyung’s shoulders, Hoseok latching onto Yoongi, Jimin wrapping his arms around Namjoon’s waist and locking his chin on Namjoon’s shoulder. All these moments feel gentle, friendly, and real.

By the evening time, many people will have come and gone and their storage of pastries will be close to empty. People will start flooding out to return home, with a few flocks coming in for a dessert or someplace to relax in peace. Yoongi will have changed the music to softer tones, occasionally switching between classical pieces and his selection of lyrical songs.

“The day’s almost over,” Namjoon says. His eyes flicker over to the darkening skies just outside. The days have been getting shorter with the winter approaching. “It’s almost time to close up.”

The bell rings, and five boys enter the cafe.

“You’re back!” Hoseok greets warmly. Everyone else smiles from their respective places while cleaning the bakery.

“Yes!” Kai cheers happily in agreement.

“We were wondering if there’s still some time left for dessert?” Yeonjun asks.

“There’s always time for dessert,” Seokjin answers solemnly at the register. “What can I get you?”

TXT share a glance. “What was the first thing you added to your menu? We want to try that.” Taehyun says.

Seokjin scans the room to meet eyes with his friends and smiles at TXT. “One Family-Style coming right up. Anything to drink?” When the boys shake their heads, Seokjin rings them up and brings them a seven-layered. The BTS members decorated every surface of the cake in their mismatched way but still made it look like a masterpiece. It mirrors the bakery’s outlay and the relationship of those working there. The five boys’ eyes widen at the cake.

“Uh, can you cut it twelve ways?” Beomgyu asks when Seokjin goes to cut it.

Seokjin quirks his brow, hand stilled and his head tilting to the side in innocent confusion. “Why twelve ways?”

“We want to share it with all of you,” Soobin mumbles. There’s a gentle smile on all the TXT members’ faces and a soft glint akin to care.

“We can’t make you pay for it then.” Yoongi leaves his perch on one of the seats and walks towards the counter. “It’s on the house.”

The younger boys protest immediately.

“We insist though,” Taehyun urges.

“It’s the least we can do. Your bakery has become a sanctuary for all of us,” Beomgyu argues.

“You inspire us all to be better people,” Kai presses.

“You’re so friendly to us, and always made time to talk to us,” Soobin says.

“We already paid for it—” Yeonjun protests, his being the clearest and loudest. In response, Seokjin bombards TXT with cash, shutting them up immediately.

“There’s no way we’re letting you pay if you’re sharing it with us,” Jimin says, collecting the money and handing it to Yeonjun with a pat on the back. “Come sit! We can eat it together!”

Jimin grabs their hands and leads them to the largest table in the bakery. Taehyung and Jungkook are both arranging chairs and cleaning the table for the twelve of them to sit down.

“There was no way the hyungs would have let you pay for it,” Jungkook murmurs with a hidden smile as he passes the younger boys.

The rest of BTS clean up their place and start closing up shop, alerting the few customers that it’s time for them to go. Slowly, the seats around their designated table fill with people, and Seokjin and Yoongi bring the slices of cake. Chatter fills the air, and BTS encourages TXT to talk and ask questions, engaging them in friendly conversation.

“I was wondering,” Soobin asks hesitantly when there’s a lull in the conversations. He stabs at a piece of his cake, staring at it with uncomfortable intensity, then shifts in his seat. “Why did you guys open a bakery?”

The table’s loud voices die down and the workers have a pensive expression on their faces. It’s Seokjin that finally speaks, all soft, gentle tones and kind gestures. It’s welcoming to TXT. The others smile encouragingly at them and their oldest hyung.

“I was the first one who had that as my dream.” Seokjin twirls his fork absentmindedly, not quite meeting everyone’s eyes, but smiling all the same. “I always wanted to open up my own restaurant, so I majored in business and minored in culinary arts. But, there was no way I could have opened up a restaurant with the money I had then. I took a lot of jobs but wasn’t ever able to save up enough. That’s where the others came in.”

“I think I was the first one who agreed to help,” Jungkook says. “We all took a culinary class one summer for the sake of it, and I realized then that I really enjoyed cooking. I knew of Jin hyung’s dream, so I took on a bunch of jobs to help and we agreed to open a restaurant together.”

“It was just those two talking about their same dream for a while until I tried baking,” Yoongi continues. “It was out of curiosity, but in our tiny kitchen, I made a war zone. I started baking more often, and eventually, I enlisted Jimin and Hoseok to join me. All three of us ended up deciding we wouldn’t mind this being our life, as long as we were all together doing it.”

“For Taehyung and me, we were the worst cooks in the flat. No one trusted us in the kitchen to not burn our house down.” Namjoon gives everyone a sheepish smile as he speaks. “But when everyone else was so into opening a business, we wanted to pitch in and help. We tried baking and cooking under the supervision of Jin hyung a little; it was only simple things at first like making scrambled eggs or boiling potatoes, but eventually, we got better. I think we’ve both come a long way from that now.” Taehyung raises his hands in a high five, and Namjoon clasps it with his, both of them grinning.

“Namjoon was an econ major, among other things, so he was the one who sketched out the business plan about four years back,” Hoseok explains. “It just happened one day that we all sat down and talked about the future, and we decided we wanted to open a restaurant together. But we wanted the restaurant to be something different and something warm.”

“It came to us one day that we just wanted it to be like home.” Jimin places his palms on the table, extending his fingers out as far as they could reach, like he is trying to map out all of their memories. “We’ve all come a long way together. There was a lot of growth between all of us, and opening this bakery was the pinnacle of everything we were as friends, supporters, and family. Even if this is just an establishment, it’s still a representation of our relationships, and those bonds led us to open this place. It’s how we were able to open it up in the first place. We didn’t want to disregard that or who we are to each other.”

The younger five nod their heads, eyes shining brightly under the lights. There’s a mix of awe and respect in each of their expressions, each of them not knowing where to look. An appreciation for the decor of the bakery seems to develop as their eyes individually travel between the owners and their creation.

“Did you ever think of stopping what you were doing here?” Kai murmurs timidly.

Taehyung nods. There’s a solemn air to him, very unlike his usual cheery, jubilant demeanor. “We all had to take other jobs after the bakery opened. There was no way we could have supported ourselves if we relied just on it back then. There was always one person here, managing the place, and when we all came home, we would add something new to the menu or bake a batch of our pastries. It was tiring, and there were many times where we’d sit around a table and ask each other whether this bakery was worth it.”

“What made you want to continue then?” Taehyun asks.

They all look at each other with something unnameable in their eyes. It’s a glint of something they all seem to have but couldn’t quite articulate.

“I think… in the end, we all wanted this bakery to survive,” Hoseok murmurs, strong even through the uncertain edge of his answer. “We wanted this, not just for ourselves, but for each other. I think that’s what got us through those days. We had each other, and that was enough.”

Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Kai nod, each with varying speeds, but all with gentle smiles and soft eyes. There is something very wholesome about BTS and the Bangtan Bakery, and all five of them feel it simultaneously. They’re all silent for the rest of the evening, but it’s not stifling or awkward, just a serene calm between them like the twelve boys have said everything that could be said. Now they’re all drinking in the moment for what it is; nothing more, nothing less.

Saturdays always seem to end like this: gentle, sweet, and smelling like home.

On Sundays, the Bangtan Bakery isn’t open. The seven boys spend the day cleaning the bakery from floor to ceiling and then going off duty for the rest of the day. On Sundays, they watch movies, play games, produce music, or each go off to do their own individual thing. It’s a rest day for all of them, and they all decide whatever they want to do. By evening time, the boys head to a local orphanage or charity center and donate the extra pastries they have, before returning home and using the last of their ingredients.

On Sundays, the kitchen isn’t the well-oiled machine it seems to be, but a war zone. Flour spills everywhere on the floor, sugar piles lie on the countertop, icing splatters cover the room, and trays on top of trays of pastries and cakes and savory sweets line the rest of the surface. They use up all the ingredients one way or another, but it’s always a mess on Sunday baking nights—an enjoyable mess nonetheless.

When they clean up everything, the seven boys head up. Some nights they’ll play games until late, other nights they’ll watch a movie, and on other occasions, they’ll all sleep in their respective beds as soon as the day is done. But most nights, Seokjin and Jungkook make some snacks, Yoongi and Hoseok line the blankets and pillows on the floor, Namjoon and Taehyung inflate the air mattresses, and Jimin makes a little nest on the floor, large enough for all of them, and they fall asleep in a pile next to each other. It’s messy, it’s unconventional, but it’s different, it’s warm, and it’s them. It’s family.

And tomorrow morning, they’ll wake up and bring those same things into their bakery.

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be at most 5k words.  
> Anyway, happy 2020! Best wishes to everyone this year!
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/intenselyreadin)


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